In the News: What Plants Are In The Voynich Manuscript?

I gave you an update about the Voynich Manuscript and its history, but let’s take a closer look at the mysterious plant drawings that were found in the book. The fantastic, yet unique plant drawings have stumped researchers and historians for years. There are a total of 126 plant drawings in the Voynich Manuscript and about 124 have been named; even though the mysterious text can not be understood.

One of the plants in the book is speculated to be the sky flower. Sky flower (Thunbergia grandiflora) is a unique plant and is native to India. The plants in the drawings were mainly brown, green, blue and in a couple cases red and yellow. The leaves of this plant are heart-shaped with light blue or white flowers similar to bindweed.

Plant like drawing in the Voynich Manuscript. Photo by Schlomo Rabinowitz/Courtesy of Flickr

The Voynich Manuscript originated in Italy. Plants and herbs during this time period were moved across Europe. New plants from foreign lands would have been an interest to people during this time period. The plants would have been an interest for their food value and medicinal properties.

Do you know more about the plants in the Voynich Manuscript? Let me know your comments.